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ADDRESS 

OF 

HON. NORRIS S. BARRATT 

AT 

THE JOHN CHAMBERS 
MEMORIAL CHURCH 

28th and Morris Streets, Philadelphia 
MONDAY, JUNE 7, 1915 

UPON HIS 
UNVEILING THE PORTRAIT OF 

REV. JOHN CHAMBERS D.D. 

PRESENTED TO THE CHURCH AS A TOKEN 
OF RESPECT TO ITS FOUNDER 

HON. JOHN WANAMAKER 
HUGH BLACK, ESO. 

PRESIDENT OF MEN'S FRIENDLY UNION, PRESIDING 



PRESS OF 
THE NEV/ ERA PRINTING COMPANY 
LANCASTER, PA. 



Judge Xorris S. Baeeatt said: 

fOU judge an orchard by its fruit. So of a 
man you ask what has he done? John 
Chambers, whose portrait has just been 
presented, was a servant of Christ, the 
most popular preacher of the nineteenth 
century in Philadelphia, and the pastor for 
fifty years of one congregation. 

His church, the First Independent Church, was 
their second building; from 1831 to 1899 it was at 
the northeast corner of Broad and Sansom streets, 
Philadelphia, where the North American Building of 
twenty stories now stands. 

He had such a wonderful personality that no one 
thought of it by its name, but it was called Cham- 
bers Church because he preached there. 

So convincing was he that he was known as the 
" Master of Hearts." Rev. Dr. Albert Barnes of the 
First Presbyterian Church, his great contemporary^ 
was, perhaps, a greater scholar. His Conmientaries 
are a monument of learning, as many Presbyterian 
ministers can testify who have studied them, but 
John Chambers was the popular preacher; he had a 
message to deliver and he proclaimed it. 

He lived from September 19, 1797, to Septem- 
ber 22, 1875. 

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Brother Wanamaker has told you of John Cham- 
bers' long, busy life and of his association with him, 
and that his voice was rich and sonorous like a trom- 
bone. 

Think of his great influence for good in Sunday- 
schools, churches, and the many men and women 
and their descendants who benefited by his ministry. 

The evidences of his great work and influence are 
still with us. 

This is apparent by this gathering in this Church, 
dedicated to the Glory of God, and named in his 
memory, 

THE JOHN CHAMBERS MEMORIAL 
CHURCH. 

The history of the portrait and its presentation 
appear in Proceedings of the Grand Lodge Free 
and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania of 1877. 

" QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION. 

"Held at Philadelphia, June 6th, A.D. 1877, A.L. 5877. 
" Brother Robert Clark, Right Worshipful Grand Master, 
in the Chair. 

" Ninety-six Lodges represented. 

'* The Grand Lodge opened in ample form at 7.20 o'clock 
P. M. 

*' The following letter from Robert H. Hinckley, Esq., which 
accompanied the portrait of our late Grand Chaplain, Reverend 
John Chambers, D.D. was read:" 

"Philadelphia, March 19th, 1877. 

" Dear Sir: — I have sent you today, by the hands of Mr. James 
S. Earle, a very fine portrait of Rev. John Chambers, D.D. It 
was the desire of Mrs. Matilda Chambers, his widow, lately de- 
ceased, at whose instance the portrait was painted from life, that 

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the Grand Lodge of Free Masons should possess the picture. 
She so expressed herself to me frequently^, and on one occasion 
so told your Grand Treasurer, Thomas R. Patton, Esq. No 
mention of the picture was made in the wills, either of Dr. or 
Mrs. Chambers, but in accordance with the wish of the latter, 
with full consent of the family and of the executor, I put the 
portrait in your possession, as Grand Master of the Fraternity, 
with the request that you have it securely hung in such place in 
your beautiful Temple, that all who see it may be reminded of 
one who loved the Order, and who so frequently in the lodge room 
led the brethren very close to God in earnest and heartfelt prayer 
to the Great Father of Mercies. 

" Very truly and respectfully yours, 

" Robert H. Hinckley, Jr., 
Executor, Rev. John Chambers, <^c. 

" To Robert Clark, Esq., 
R. W. Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania." 

" The R, W. Grand Master stated that he had accepted and 
acknowledged the receipt of the portrait, when, on motion, the 
letter of Robert H. Hinckley, Jr., was ordered to be spread upon 
the minutes and the portrait accepted." 

" Office of the R. W. Grand Master of Free and Accepted 
Masons of Penna., &c. 

"Masonic Temple^ Philadelphia, March 28th, 1877. 

" Robert H. Hinckley, Jr., Esq. 

" Dear Sir: — Your favor of 19th inst., was duly received, giving 
me the gratifying information of the presentation to this Grand 
Lodge of the portrait of our highly esteemed and worthy Brother, 
Rev. John Chambers, D.D., who was at the time of his decease 
the Senior Grand Chaplain of this Grand Lodge, having officiated 
as such for a period of nearly a quarter of a century. The por- 
trait was also received and is now in the office of our Grand Secre- 
tary. At the next meeting of the Grand Lodge I will have it 
properly presented to that body, and I have no doubt it will be 
fully appreciated as a remembrance of one whom we all were de- 

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lighted to see, and to listen to the fervent prayers and supplica- 
tions as offered by him to the Great Architect of the Universe. 

" Allow me to express my sincere and heartfelt acknowledg- 
ments to the family of our departed Brother, and also to you in- 
dividually for the kind sentiments expressed by you toward our 
beloved fraternity. 

" Very truly and respectfully yours, 

" Robert Clark, 
R. W. Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania." 

He was bom September 19, 1797, in Stewarts- 
town, in County Tyrone, Ireland, and brought to 
this country when three months old by his father 
and mother. William Chambers was his father. 
They landed at ISTew Castle, Delaware, and then 
journeyed by conestoga wagon to Pittsburgh, Penn- 
sylvania, down the Ohio river to Jefferson county, 
Smithfield, Ohio, where they settled. Here he lived 
in a log cabin. His student life was passed in Balti- 
more, Maryland. He studied for the ministry, and 
came to Philadelphia in the month of May, 1825, 
to enter on his duties as pastor of the Ninth Pres- 
byterian Church, then occupying a small, brick 
building on the west side of Thirteenth street, above 
Market street. 

The Presbytery of Philadelphia, however, refused 
to ordain Mr. Chambers, owing to his views on the 
doctrine of predestination. He was ordained by 
the Association of Congregational Ministers of 
New Haven, Conn., December 7, 1825, and then 
he established the congregation known for about 
fifty years in Philadelphia as " The First Inde- 
pendent Church, Broad Street." This body erected 
a church building at the northeast corner of Broad 

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and Sansom streets. The corner-stone was laid 
in March, 1831. 

Under Dr. Chambers' pastorate this organization 
flourished, having at times fully 1,200 members. On 
February 14, 1858, the Bethany Mission, now the 
Bethany Presbyterian Church, was started by John 
Wanamaker, directly under the auspices and with 
the aid of Mr. Chambers and his church. On the 
fortieth anniversary. May 14, 1865, he was then 
sixty-eight ; he had attended 2,509 funerals, preached 
6,247 sermons, 2,400 funeral addresses, 3,000 ad- 
dresses on missionary, temperance and Sunday- 
school subjects, and made 28,000 pastoral calls. 
His salary for this great work was, first, $1,500, 
then $2,500, and $4,000 the later years of his hfe. 
In October, 1873, Mr. Chambers, his elders and all 
his people entered the Presbyterian fold, and were 
enrolled as The Chambers Presbyterian Church. 

When he was called to Philadelphia, he did as I 
did, married a Baltimore girl, and when first mar- 
ried he lived on Arch street, near Thirteenth street; 
later on Walnut street above Broad street, on the 
south side, and from the time of the Civil War until 
his death, corner Twelfth and Girard streets. 

He was distinguished in so many respects that it 
is difficult to do him justice without being suspected 
of exaggeration. 

But he was the war horse of temperance; he 
would enter no house where hquors were provided, 
not even to hold services over the dead, and all 
church historians agree that he had a wonderful 
control of assembhes. He was their master. When 

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a little boy I remember him distinctly, especially his 
height, which was six feet, his commanding presence 
and his wonderful oratory. 

John Chambers' favorite psalm was CXXXIII, 
a song of degrees of David — the benefit of the com- 
munion of saints. 

1. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to 
dwell together in unity ! 

2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran 
down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that went down to 
the skirts of his garments; 

3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon 
the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the bless- 
ing; even life for evermore. 

Among his many activities he was much interested 
in the principles of Freemasonry. He believed them 
instruments for good. He was a clear thinker, and 
he saw that there was nothing inconsistent, or 
thought of rivalry between the Church and the Ma- 
sonic Lodge. Masonry teaches and explains by 
symbols which are ceremonial, and has a dignified 
ritual which teaches the principles of pure morality. 
Speaking of the Grand Lodge of England, in 1717 
a Churchman said: "So inbred is the love of digni- 
fied ceremonial in our racial characteristics, that when 
Ritualism was driven out of the Church, Englishmen 
allowed themselves to be driven out with it, and 
Ritualism and Englishmen were together established 
in the Masonic order." As a late writer has aptly 
expressed the thought, " Masonry has no monopoly 
of the truth, nor of the wisdom of the ancient sages, 
nor, indeed, could it or any other organization claim 
a monopoly of these inestimable gifts. This wisdom 

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REV. JOHN CHAMBERS, D. D. 



CHAPLAIN OF THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF 
PENNSYLVANIA, 1836-1874. PRESENTED TO THE JOHN CHAMBERS MEMORIAL CHURCH AS 
A TOKEN OF RESPECT TO THE HON. JOHN WANAMAKER. 



Ht tbe 3obn Cbambera fiDemorial Cburcb 



and the great truths of Kfe, are concealed all about 
us; in every man these truths are hidden in his 
heart, so that when he sees one of them, he is not 
surprised, for he seems to recognize an old acquain- 
tance. But men cannot see these truths when they 
live by false standards, or darken their judgment by 
errors or vices. These truths are hidden in the al- 
legories of the world, even in the fairy tales that are 
told to children. But men cannot hear the spiritual 
meaning so plain as the adept until their ears are 
tuned to the harmony of the spiritual; and every 
fault vice or folly clogs the musical strings of the 
soul so that it cannot respond to its true harmonic, 
but produces discord instead." This is not the time 
or the occasion to speak of the objects or purposes 
of Freemasonry. Those of you who are members 
of the craft — and I see many of you present — know 
them. J. Henry Williams, George W. Kendrick, 
Jr., John Wanamaker, Samuel W. Wray, Dr. Sam- 
uel W. Latta, Walter T. Taggart, Dr. Juhus F. 
Sachse, Henry Darrach, who are on this platform, 
are not here as Masons, but as citizens to do honor 
to Dr. Chambers. It is enough to say, however, 
that Dr. Chambers was an ideal Freemason; his 
passions were under control; he acted upon the 
square, he spoke well of his brethren, and his active 
life work as a minister of God, in which he was pre- 
eminently successful, was the salvation of men's 
souls. He led his people in the way of truth, point- 
ing out that all our doings without charity are 
nothing worth," and exhorted them " to hold the 
faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and 

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in righteousness of life." Masonry is not a religion, 
nor a substitute for one, but all its members must be- 
lieve in God. On the west wall of Corinthian Hall, 
the Grand Lodge room in our Masonic Temple, 
Broad and Filbert Streets, Philadelphia, in plain 
view of the brethren, is the latin motto, " Nil Sine 
Numine " — nothing without God — ^which is signif- 
icant. 

He was an active member of Lodge No. 51, Free 
and Accepted Masons, of the City of Philadelphia, 
from May 22, 1851, the date of his admission, and 
a Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Pennsyl- 
vania for twenty-five years, having been first ap- 
pointed December 27, 1849. My father, James Bar- 
ratt, Jr., was a member of Lodge No. 51, and it is 
one of our best Lodges. 

Dr. Chambers' great interest and devotion to duty 
is shown by the fact that when the corner-stone of 
the present Masonic Temple, at Broad and Filbert 
streets, Philadelphia, which is in the northeast foun- 
dation walls and weighs ten tons, was laid with ap- 
propriate ceremonies by Right Worshipful Past 
Grand Master Richard Vaux in the presence of a 
distinguished company of ten thousand Masons on 
June 24, 1868, as Grand Chaplain he took a prom- 
inent part in the proceedings and offered the follow- 
ing prayer: 

" Prayer by the Rev. John Chambers. 
" June 24, 1868. 

" We come before Thee, Thou Great and Eternal God and 
Father, maker of worlds and ruler of men, to offer to Thee our 
adoration and praise, our prayers and thanksgiving. We pray 

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Thee to bless the work now begun^ with the corn of strength, the 
wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy. We implore Thee to 
bless the great brotherhood of Freemasonry here, and every 
where, and give it unity, harmony, and prosperity. We ask Thee 
of Thy great mercy to preserve and protect us, and have com- 
passion for those who suffer, and be the God of the widow and 
the fatherless of our brethren. Be pleased to teach us our work, 
that we may ever revere Thy holy name, and obey Thy divine 
laws, so that in all our labors we may have respect to those in 
authority over us, as they and we are accountable to Thee, the 
only-wise God, blessed forever. Look down from Heaven, Thy 
dwelling-place, Oh Thou who created the earth and the sea, 
the sun, moon, and stars, and pour out upon this fraternity of 
men like blessings which aforetime Thou didst upon our fathers. 
O Thou Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent God, hear us, 
be with us, and grant us Thy salvation. And when we shall have 
ended our labors on earth, may Thou, O Father of light and 
love, who are plenteous in mercy, guide us up to Thy throne, that 
we may, with those who in white raiment and crowns of glory, 
with harps in their hands, sing the songs of joy and deliverance 
and redemption, throughout the endless ages of eternity. Amen." 

At the dedication of the Masonic Temple Sep- 
tember 26, 1873, and in the seventy-fifth year of his 
age, he made the invocation which follows: 

" Prayer by the Rev. John Chambers^ 
"September 26, 1873. 

" Almighty, Eternal, and loving God, the Supreme Ruler of 
the Universe, the Divine Architect of all things, we come into 
Thy gracious presence in the way which Thou has appointed. 
We call upon our souls, and all that is within us, to be stirred 
up, to adore and magnify Thy great and holy Name. We thank 
Thee, that our lives and health have been continued unto us, and 
that we are allowed to meet each other on this solemn and im- 
portant occasion, to dedicate this magnificent Masonic Temple to 
the glory and honor of the one living, true, and eternal Jehovah. 

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Here^ may Thy Name ever be honored. Here, may good and 
true men, only, be added to the sacred Fraternity; each, in his 
place, following the landmarks so beautifully laid down in Thy 
blessed Word; each, with plummet-exactness, standing erect be- 
fore all men — ever square in their actions by the word of truth, 
as revealed to man in the Holy Bible, and never failing to cir- 
cumscribe their words and deeds toward God and man. 

" Bless, we implore Thee, the Grand Officers of the Grand 
Lodge of Pennsylvania, and the Grand Officers of all the Grand 
Lodges represented here, on this Grand occasion; and mercifully 
bestow Thy gracious benedictions upon the Masonic fraternity, 
from the rising to the setting sun, and from the rivers unto the 
ends of the earth. 

" Suffer not, we beseech Thee, Thou God of Mercy, that the 
Masonic ear should ever become deaf to the cry of the distressed ; 
nor that the Masonic hand should ever be closed when needy 
brethren ask for help. So influence the hearts of the universal 
Brotherhood, that the widow and the fatherless in their distress 
shall never plead in vain. 

" O, Thou Father of all good, grant that all who may be chosen 
to rule over this Grand Lodge be good men and true, and ever 
under the special guidance of Thy divine wisdom. Within the 
walls of this Temple now being dedicated to Thy honor and glory, 
let there be but one heart and one mind in their love and obedience 
to Thee, Thou Lord of Heaven and Earth; and when our work 
on earth is done, and well done, then, by Thy gracious favor, bid 
us ' Welcome ' to the Temple, not made with hands, eternal in 
the Heavens, to dwell with Thee forever. Let not one be missing, 
we implore Thee for Thy Name's sake. Amen." 

If nothing else remained to us but these beautiful 
prayers, we should say they evinced those traits 
which characterize the strong, clean, God-fearing 
minister — the highest type of manhood. 

Dr. Herrick Johnston said of him: 

** He was as bold as a lion, with the heart of a child. His 
emotions were not born blind and therefore while intense were 

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under curb and bit. His talk before our ministers' meeting one 
day when he had been invited to give us some reminiscences of his 
fifty years' service for God in Philadelphia, was a revelation, an 
inspiration and a benediction. We felt there was one John 
Chambers, whom God had sent into this world marked * not trans- 
ferable ' and * good for this trip only,' " 

If Dr. Chambers could see the wonderful Bethany 
Presbyterian Church of today and this church named 
after him which grew out of it, and the good work 
they have done and are doing he could truly say, 
. " I have not lived in vain." 

I have related to you briefly in outline what John 
Chambers did. 

In St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, lies the mortal 
remains of Sir Christopher Wren, its great architect, 
who was Worshipful Master of St. Paul's Lodge, 
now the Lodge of Antiquity, subsequently R. W. 
Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons, of Eng- 
land, with this inscription, " Here lies the body of 
Sir Christopher Wren, Architect of St. Paul's. 
Reader! Would you see his monument, then look 
around you." Repeating these words, " Look 
around you," what meets your view as to John 
Chambers? We see evidences of his life work and 
influence on every hand. 

The Bethany Mission Sunday School and the 
Bethany Presbyterian Church and this edifice, the 
John Chambers Memorial Church, the Chambers 
Memorial Church at Rutledge, Pa., and St. Paul's 
Presbyterian Church in West Philadelphia, and the 
Chambers-Wylie Memorial Church, on Broad street, 
above Pine street. He was the captain, and Wal- 
ton, Wanamaker and Whitaker were his able lieu- 

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tenants. In 1875 Mr. Chambers said: "Connected 
with our movements as a Church, no single event in 
our history exceeds in point of grandeur or impor- 
tance Bethany Mission, the work of that remark- 
able young man, John Wanamaker," and you know 
this church is an outgrowth of Bethany. 

In view of the inscription on the portrait which I 
unveil " as a token of respect to Hon. John Wana- 
maker," I venture to say to this audience that our 
friend, Mr. Wanamaker, and his many religious 
activities with the churches I have named, are living 
monuments to Mr. Chambers' greatness and char- 
acter. Truly was he called a spiritual storage bat- 
tery, as the inspiration, spirit and power he infused 
into Mr. Wanamaker still is a great force for good. 

This portrait shows the man as he was, and his 
widow prized it. The inscription placed below it is : 

"Rev. John Chambers, D.D., Chaplain of the Right Worship- 
ful Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, 
1836— 187 J^. Presented to The John Chambers Memorial Church 
as a token of respect to the Hon. John Wanamaker." 

As a man, a friend, a preacher and a Mason, he 
deserves commendation, and you honor yourselves 
in doing honor to his memory — * He being dead, yet 
speaketh.' " You reap what he sowed. May his 
portrait always be an inspiration to you. 

" And I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write 
Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. 
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and 
their works do follow them." 



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